


The Smaller Things In Life

by toesohnoes



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-28
Updated: 2012-01-28
Packaged: 2017-10-30 05:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/328318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toesohnoes/pseuds/toesohnoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles distracts himself with a camera. Erik can't understand how a man with such a huge intellect can be so easily amused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Smaller Things In Life

**Author's Note:**

> Written at my [Tumblr](http://toestastegood-fic.tumblr.com/post/16240545335/erik-stands-at-a-slight-distance-as-charles-plays).

Erik stands at a slight distance as Charles plays around with his camera. He has his arms crossed over his chest and he’s trying to look as disapproving as possible: they can hardly spare time to screw around right now, even if the current trail for the mutant they’re looking for has gone cold.

As he watches, a set of birds come to approach Charles, one landing on his head and one landing on the camera itself. Charles opens his mouth and laughs in delight, an open and free sound that Erik hardly recognises.

“What are you doing?” he asks, tempted to step forward and wave the things away from Charles. Winged rats, that’s what they are. “Did you bring them here?”

“I can hear them,” Charles laughs. “It’s confusing. All animals are, actually. Less thought, more instinct. It’s still possible. I think I’ll need to practice.”

“I’m not sure if communing with animals ought to be high on our list of priorities,” Erik points out.

Charles glances away from the camera and back towards him, unsettling the bird that had landed on his head. “It could be useful,” he suggests, “on the other hand, it could just be fun.”

Erik frowns, but he comes forward when Charles reaches out for him. Charles passes the camera into his hands with the pigeon still balanced upon it, and Erik looks down as if he isn’t sure what Charles expects him to do with it. He’s never had anything like this moment before; unplanned and unexpected, a cluster of minutes unruled by the tide of vengeance. It leaves him unbalanced, as does the way that Charles looks at him, his blue eyes soft and all-seeing.

With a small shift of his finger, Erik presses down on the camera’s button to take a shot.

“I can’t wait to get these developed,” Charles says, as the bird spreads its wings and flutters grumpily away. “Who else is going to have a photo of a pigeon’s arse?”

And, Erik wonders as he shakes his head in disbelief, who but Charles (perfectly mad, perfectly daft, perfectly wonderful Charles) would even want one?


End file.
